A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.
Date of event: 7/5/2009
9.52am There was the most fantastic eroded rock formation just to the right of the town as I descended. Click to see it in more detail. I'd stopped to take this photo and the buzz of cicadas filled the thyme scented air - and the air was just so warm as my bike swooshed down the curves - warm with those occasional cold bits where there is a sudden scent of cold, wet leaves and pine as you go between trees. Ah, perfect.
I thought I'd stop at Thuirs but there were no hotels and no campsites so I pressed on. I'd spent some time riding about trying to find somewhere to stay but in the end only found a nice place for lunch.
Riding out of town, which was much larger than I'd thought, took ages, past suberbs with expensive looking villas and no shade from the afternoon sun. Eventually I came to a group of trees with a bench and two cyclists already resting there.
They turned out to be a dutch couple who had already cycled from Malaga and where now following the same Benjaminse route I was doing but the other way around. They had nice bikes with Rohloff hubs - they let me have a try but it was too precarious up so high with four panniers so I got off without even changing gear! I let them sit on my bike which they thought more than comfy. Another set of converts perhaps.
It was very hot and I ran out of water but spotted two little lads playing in their back yard and they dashed off to fill my water bidon for me. Then the smaller one reappeared, not saying a word, and gave me a nectarine! Bless.